Students in Chico meet death to avoid dying

CHICO >> Hundreds of high school students watched and some participated Wednesday in the re-enactments of deadly drunken driving wrecks in the hope the painful images might help them avoid the tragic reality.

Wednesday the students at Chico, Pleasant Valley and Fair View high schools all took part in "Every 15 Minutes," an anti-drunken driving campaign that was originated in Chico in 1996.

The program gave students at each campus a chance to closely observe a devastating crash where other students depict the young drivers and their passengers. The "drivers" and "passengers" were made up to show their wounds and coached to scream and sob as firefighters, police, paramedics, funeral home employees and the "grim reaper" each carry out their various duties.

At Pleasant Valley Ann and Jay Nelson watched from behind plastic police tape, as their son, Brandon lay "dead" on the hood of car involved in a high-speed head-on crash with a mini-van.

Brandon had been a front seat passenger in the car and had blasted through the front window during the wreck.

This "wreck" occurred on a large paved area behind Center for the Arts.

Of course mom and dad had been fully briefed on what was happening and why.

The parents were in place before the actors in the collision were all in set and the student spectators were yet to arrive.

Jay Nelson, who works at Chico Junior High School, predicted the emotions would hit him when the crash scenario began to play out but, "I'm proud of him. It takes some courage to do this kind of thing."

Earlier in the day, before the crash took place, a tall traditionally black-garbed grim reaper had gone from class to class to collect the "victims," who were to represent the individuals killed every 15 minutes nationwide in incidents related to drunken or drugged driving.

Those students are called "the walking dead" and their seats remained empty in each class throughout the school day.

Just after the student body had gathered at the wreck site, a terrified 9-1-1 call blared over a PA system reporting a terrible, apparently fatal, crash between a car and a minivan.

Moments later a contingent of Chico and Cal Fire-Butte County fire apparatus rolled, with lights and sirens going, up to the crash.

Firefighters dashed to the vehicles. The first one to Brandon immediately determined he was beyond hope and moved on to aid those who could still be helped. Two ground ambulances and Enloe Medical Center's FlightCare helicopter were summoned. The helicopter landed on the grass play field just south of the wreck site.

Pneumatic tools were used to pry open the driver's door on the car, and as that was going on a sheet was placed over Brandon's body.

When the driver's door was finally ripped open, the driver burst from the car and ran to Brandon, shouting, "That's Brandon! That's my friend!"

A firefighter guided her away from the corpse.

Later Ann Nelson, who works at the nearby Smart Start Pre-School, said, when the grief stricken girl driver began shouting her son's name, "That made it real. I teared up a little bit."

The grim reaper stood vigil next to Brandon as he lay face down on the hood, and remained there until the funeral home staff arrived, and ultimately zipped him into a body bag before moving the "remains" to a hearse on a gurney.

Firefighters cut the roof off the mini-van to reached the wounded. Throughout the ordeal wireless mikes on the injured and emergency personnel allowed the audience to hear their every moan or cry for help, and to listen as the rescuers worked to free and aid them.

While all this was going on a Chico police officer could be heard putting the uninjured van driver through a series of field sobriety tests.

He came to the conclusion the girl was under the influence, and while cuffing her hands behind her back, advised her she was going to be charged with felony drunken driving because of the injuries and fatality involved.

The officer also said he would be booking her into jail.

Swiftly the injured were loaded into the ambulances and into the helicopter and which took off for the trip to the hospital.

The police car, carrying the driver, left and the student audience drifted back to class.

All of the involved students, including the walking dead, were taken to a local hotel where they spent the night. During part of the hotel stay they were asked to write letters home to their.

Today assemblies will be conducted at each school. The "dead," arrested, and the injured will be reunited with their classmates and families, and presentations will be made to the schools.

Cal Fire-Butte County Battalion Chief Garrett Sjolund said the crash depiction was "typical" of what would happen at a genuine wreck of this size.

He said he and other members of his crew are fathers and, as a father, he thinks of this kind of unnecessary carnage more.

"It sticks with you a little longer," said the chief.

PVSH Principal John Shepherd said everybody involved hopes the exercise has the impact they all wish it does. They want potential of such a tragedy to "hit home."

Ann, who knew her son was coming home alive and well the next day, said she was grateful she had given Brandon an extra long hug before he left that morning.